Following the release of Netflix’s American Murder and Peacock’s Face to Face, there has been a revived interest in the case, specifically regarding the fate of Laci and Scott Peterson’s pet dog.
Scott is currently fighting for a new trial after being convicted for the 2002 murder of his wife Laci, who was eight months pregnant with their son Conner. This has led to the emergence of new true crime documentaries.
The request is still ongoing, but the widely-publicized case has once again captured the attention of the public with the recent release of docu-series on both Netflix and Peacock.
A particular point of interest is placed on McKenzie, the Petersons’ golden retriever, who was discovered wandering alone with its leash still attached on December 24, 2002 – the same day that Laci went missing.
The Petersons’ dog was sent to a new home
After Scott’s conviction for the murder of Laci, it was discovered that McKenzie, who was unharmed, had been sent to live with Scott’s relatives in San Diego.
After being confirmed as safe, Laci’s friend Stacey Boyers took in their two pet cats, Siam and Gracie.
In 2007, Mike Rodriguez, director of Stanislaus County Animal Services, expressed his concern for the well-being of the animals to The Modesto Bee.
“I have already received four calls today and have heard from individuals across the nation about that.”
Terri Western, a friend of Laci’s family, affirmed, “I am aware that the dog is in good hands with one of Scott’s relatives.”
Laci’s friends made sure to continue feeding the cats until they were able to catch them. After being caught, the cats were taken for a medical examination before being relocated to live with Stacey.
Why McKenzie was important to the case
During the morning of Laci’s disappearance, their dog was discovered wandering the neighborhood with a muddy leash still attached while Scott was out on a fishing trip.
Upon finding McKenzie, Karen Servas promptly returned him to the Petersons’ yard without giving it much thought.
Detective Al Brocchini of the Modesto police noted that Scott’s timeline of events aroused suspicion.
Upon his return from the fishing trip, Scott informed him that the only abnormalities were an unlocked door and the dog’s leash still being attached.
Despite this, he also mentioned that he started a load of laundry, enjoyed a slice of pizza, drank some milk, showered, and then reached out to Laci’s mother Sharon to inform her of her daughter’s disappearance.
Throughout the trial, the prosecution and defense each presented their own theories regarding the events in question. The defense proposed that Laci had taken McKenzie for a walk that morning while Scott went fishing, and that she disappeared during this time.
Additionally, prosecutors contended that due to her advanced pregnancy, Laci would not have taken the dog out for a walk. Testifying in court, her friends stated that Laci had ceased exercising on the advice of her doctor.
According to my friend Stacey, who was mentioned earlier, she stated, “Whenever she attempted to do something, she would have to pause and take a break.”
In the meantime, Debra Wolski, Laci’s prenatal yoga instructor, reported, “Laci was struggling to walk and in a lot of pain. She required assistance to return to her car.”
Despite many witnesses reporting to have seen a pregnant woman walking a dog on the morning of Christmas Eve, 2002, none of them testified in court.
This was due to the fact that these sightings occurred after 10:18am, which was the time Karen claimed to have returned McKenzie to the Petersons’ yard.
Despite Brocchini’s statement in Face to Face with Scott Peterson that all individuals claiming to have seen Laci walking the dog were interviewed, this is still being pursued as part of Scott’s ongoing efforts to secure a retrial.
Fellow Modesto detective Jon Buehler also recognizes the subjectivity of eyewitness testimony. He acknowledges that witnesses may have the intention to be helpful and could mistakenly claim to have seen Laci when it was actually a case of mistaken identity.
“Alternatively, they may have had ulterior motives for wanting to be involved in this high-profile, newsworthy case. There were a few instances of this nature that arose. As a precaution, if an innocent person was wrongly incarcerated, we would want to be made aware of it.”
You can currently watch American Murder: Laci Peterson on Netflix and Face to Face with Scott Peterson on Peacock.
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